Zinc cell.



J. L. MALM.

ZINC CELL. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. m4.

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ZINC CELL. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29,1914

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- TED TES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. MALM, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ZINC CELL.

memos.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

Application filed July 29, 1914. Serial No. 853,859.

cells where it is treated electrically to drive ofi the anion anddeposit the metal.

The invention may be further briefly summarizedas consisting in theconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth in' thefollowing description, drawings and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a battery ofcells constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a transversesection upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section.upon the line 33 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a detail view showing theconnections between leads and the graphite bars.

In carrying out the invention any preferred form and arrangement ofparts may be employed so long as they possess the necessarycharacteristics, but I have shown one arrangement which is effective,and in such embodiment 1 represents a suitable casing of concrete orother material, provided with a plurality of cell chambers 2 arranged oneach side of a longitudinal trough or opening 3 provided with a verticalpartition 4 for a purpose to be described. This trough is connected toeach cell chamber by a suitable port 5. This trough is provided with asuitable cover 6 resting on ledges 7 surrounding the trough. The coveris adapted to prevent the escape of gas from the trough and at the endof the casing an opening 8 leads from this trough to any suitableconnection for conducting away the gas as will later appear. At theopposite end of the trough suitable pipes of earthen ware or any othersuitable material lead to the casin to supply the electrolyte at thispoint if esired.

The elements of all cells are the same, and the description of one willsuffice for all. Mounted in the bottom of each cell are supportingblocks 10 of any suitable material and extendmg up from the bottom ofthe chamber and which these blocks are adapted to support are graphiteanode bars or plates 11 extending transversely of the cell. There arepreferably two blocks for each anode and there is a plurality of anodesin each cell, eight being shown in the drawings, and each of thesegraphite anodes is provided with a pair of graphite conductor bars 12,

one being arranged near each end, and each of these bars is providedwith a suitable lead 13 extending to a source of current supply.

Each cell isalso provided with a suitable cover 14 provided withopenings for receiving the several conductor bars 12 and these coversrest on suitable shoulders 15 and prevent the escape of gas through thetop of the cell. At a point slightly above the bottom of each cell asuitable discharge port 16 is provided and these discharge portsextend-out to a suitable recess 17 in the outer wall of the casing 1 andare there provided with a trap s out 18 partially in the form of areturn end with the bend down so that it will fill up with molten metaland form a seal.

The several cells are connected in series throughout, and thearrangement is such that adjacent to the first cell, which, in thisinstance, is the one at the lower left end of Fig. 1, the casing isprovided with a bus bar 19 connected to the positive lead 20 from anysuitable source of current supply, and to this bus bar are connected theseveral leads 13 leading to the several graphite conductor bars of thefirst cell. The current then passes from this bus bar through the leads13 to the conductor bars and to the graphite anodes in the bottom ofthis cell. Current then passes through the molten electrolyte and is ledto the next cell through a molten electrolyte channel- 21 passingthrough from the bottom of the first, cell to a vertical channel 22passing up between the first and second cells. of these channels 22 aresuitable copper rods or bars 23 which are connected to the leads 13 ofthe next cell. This construction is continued throughout each cell ofthe battery, as shown, to the last one, from whence the current leadsfrom the copper bars or rods 23 to a negative bus bar 24, shown at theright end of the battery in Fig. 3. This bus-bar extends across thebattery, as shown In each pipes may be utilized in distributing theelectrolyte to them.

The ends of each of the plpes 9 and 26 are turned upward and they arearranged in an arc of a circle, so that a semi-circular 7 connection 27may connect any one of them to a supply pipe 28.

The electrical connection between each lead 13 and the conductor bar ismade in the following manner: The conductor bar is provided with alongitudinal opening 29 enlarged to form a cup-shaped recess 30 at thetop. Extending into the opening 29 1s a copperor other conducting rod 31which extends into the cup-shaped recess as shown. Engaging the walls ofthe recess 30 is a metal sleeve 32 which projects above the upper end ofthe conductor bar and receives the end of the lead 13. This sleeve isheld in place by a ring of cement 33 arranged upon the top ofthe bar andaround the sleeve. The terminal or lead 13 is then electricallyconnected to the rod 31 by some adhering metal, such as solder, which ispoured in molten form into the sleeve, thus electrically connecting therod with the lead. If it should be desired to move any of the conductorbars, this may be readily accomplished by melting the solder with atorch when the lead 13 may be pulled therefrom.

Assuming that there is a supply of molten electrolyte to the pipe 28 andthat the molten electrolyte has risen to a height in the cells justabove the bottoms of the transverse openings 5, as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 2, and further assuming that the positive and negative generatoror current supply connections are connected in the proper manner andthat current is being supplied to the cell, the operation is such thatthe electrolytic action of the current through the molten electrolytecauses the anion to be liberated therefrom and molten metal toaccumulate in the bottom of the cells, the gaseous anion passing to thetop of the cells through the transverse openings 5 and into the top ofthe channel 3 from whence it passes through the opening 8 to anysuitable collector, not shown.

The partition 4 serves to divide the trough 3 into two parts so that incase either set of prising a casing having a cell chamber therein, asupply and gas channel, a port leading from said channel to the cellchamber, a port in the casing and leading from a point above the bath toa point below the surface there of, an anode support arranged upon thebottom of the cell, an anode arranged upon said support, a connectorextending from said anode beyond the top of the cell, an electricalconnection outside of the cell leading to the anode, another electricalconnection outside of thecell leading to a point below the surface ofthe bath in the port,

and a cover for said cell.

2. In an apparatus for treating metallic salts, a casing having aplurality of rows of cell chambers, a trough in the casing between therows of cell chambers, openings between the trough and cell chambers, apartition in the trough and providing separate supplies for theuntreated'material for the several cell,

chambers, a cover for said trough spaced from the top of said partition,means for leading gas from the top of said trough, electrodes in saidchambers, and suitable electrical connections therefor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa ture in presence of two witnessesas follows:

JOHN L. MALM.

Witnesses:

W. E. MALM, S. A. IONIDES.

